Categories
1911 2011 9mm Fusion Firearms Springfield Armory

I Have Received The New Guns!

The gun store called me yesterday afternoon and told me that the guns were ready to be picked up. They must’ve been super busy with tracking inventory because it took them a day to call me. I was pretty wasted from a week of hard work, so I opted to not pick up the guns yesterday.

I went with my wife and son to pick them up today.

The shop was packed, but I was in and out in 30-40 minutes.

The associate showed me the XP Comp first. The guy was surprised when I saw Glock mags in a 2011 case. He asked me twice, “this thing actually takes Glock mags?” LOL!

The gun was beautiful, as expected. It looks….different. More serious? Yeah, that’s it! It looks all business when compared to the hard chrome version.

The second thing I noticed was that the grip texturing was serious. That’s exactly what it needed. I’m now wondering if I can get that exact same grip for my XP Pro…it won’t help the slide, but that’s OK. As well, the grip is more slim and has less angles than the XP Pro…I like it better just for that alone. The most important thing is, the texturing goes from the top of the side panels to the bottom! That’s a huge deal and is a definite improvement.

The third thing I noticed was that the recoil spring weight…light AF. I’m now wondering if it’s going to have issues as I stack up the round count. I’ve seen more than a few folks say that they needed a stronger spring when breaking in the gun – we’ll see.

I’ve ordered a Holosun 407C for that gun. I found one for $160. I wanted a big window but also wanted something cheap but tested.

He also showed me the Kuna.

My very first impression of the Kuna was, “tiny!” That gun is small AF! And light, too. The trigger is OK, but I’ve the feeling that I’ll have a better impression of the trigger once I’ve shot rounds though it.

The safety is stiff as hell – I hope it’ll loosen a bit with time. The folding brace mechanism is stiff, too. It took me a bit to determine how to fold/unfold it. The flip-up sights are great – I love that option.

I’ve a TruGlo Dual Color cheap-ass optic that I bought from Walmart like 11 years ago that I’ve never used. I’ve heard other folks say that, while that optic looks and feels cheap, it works well enough for range use, so I installed it on the Kuna. If fits well and will co-witness the irons perfectly. The optic glass is big, and it sits high enough to where I don’t need a riser. Eventually, I’ll find something better for it, or, just scavenge from my other rifles. I’ve a Romeo MSR that’s on my Ruger AR-556 – that would be a great fit for the Kuna, but I really don’t want to be messing with risers, and I think that optic will need a riser when mounted to the Kuna. I can test it tomorrow since I’ve not zero’d that optic to the AR-556 yet.

I’m not sure how folks are using the non-flip-up sights, though…they’re super low and I can’t get a good sight picture unless I remove my prescription glasses.

I also received my 5 extra Kuna mags today, which is great! With 30-round mags, though, the two that came with the Kuna are good enough for immediate range use.

I need to study up on where to lube the Kuna in preparation for a first outing at the range. I’m totally unfamiliar with MP5-types of guns. I’m unsure if I should move the charging handle to the right-hand side so that I can charge the gun as if it were an AK…I should probably leave it as-is for now, though.

Many folks have been SBR-ing their Kunas. I’m not sure I want to do that. Yeah, it’ll be great to have a short barreled PCC with an actual stock, but I HATE asking for permission for simple shit like that, and I do plan to eventually to a different state (would have to ask for permission to transfer the SBR out of state, too).

I’ve never bought a supressor, but I’m super-curious now, with the Kuna, so that may be in my (next year?) future.

The next gun is due to arrive on Tuesday. If they call me that day, I’ll go pick it up that evening after work. That one will be the Alpha Foxtrot Attila, and will be my second comp’d 2011. The goal for that gun is to carry it, but I also am super fussy about flashbang. That comp may cause a lot of flashes, which isn’t optimal for me. I can always opt to continue carrying the Prodigy (there’s no real need to replace it as my carry gun at the moment), or I can get the S15 cut for an optic so that I can carry that. Another option would be to sell the S15 to fund the next purchase. (XP 3C????)

I’ll start planning out the next few reviews and will probably begin to shoot/review the XP Comp first.

Categories
1911 2011 carbine Fusion Firearms Springfield Armory

Springfield Armory Kuna and Fusion Firearms XP Comp Are Inbound!

Today, I bought a Springfield Armory Kuna. It is the folding brace version. I bought it online, from Gunprime. That’s the same dealer I bought my Prodigy DS from, so I’ve some history with that dealer My prior purchase and shipping experience was good.

I also bought a Fusion Firearms XP Comp. This time around, I went with their black version. I bought it online, as well, from White Birch Armory in New Hampshire. I also have bought from them in the past (I bought the Tisas Duty through them). The shipping and purchasing experience was good, as well.

I expect to have both in my hands by next Monday or Tuesday.

For some reason, the Kuna was hard to find. Most places don’t have them. In fact, I need to buy more mags and those are hard to find, as well.

I already have some G17 mags for the XP Comp. I’ve 4 KCI mags and the two that came with the XP Pro. I’ll have 8 when I get the XP Comp. I should probably order more, though, especially with those bad gun laws that are inbound to VA.

I’m not sure if I’ll buy another RMR optic specifically for the XP Comp or just use the Cyelee Chameleon that’s currently mounted on the XP Pro. I suppose I can look for a cheap Holosun 407C.

I’m not done with the purchases, either.

I’ve a Ruger Mark IV 22/45 on my list of things to obtain. I also have the Alpha Foxtrot Attila on my list – it’s not on the market yet, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that it should be available sometime in April.

I had two options for this year’s buying spree: to buy the above listed guns, or buy the Kuna, the Ruger Mark IV, and a Staccato HD P4. I flipped a coin – tails for the guns I listed up above, or heads for the group with the Staccato. The coin landed on it’s face, and here we are!

No worries, though…the Staccato is carrying over to next year’s list. And, since the Staccato is so expensive, it’ll be a short list.

UPDATE (3/31/2026): Both guns have shipped….wow! Both were picked up already and have estimated delivery dates of 2 April (Thursday)! I’m super surprised that they were both processed were out the door today! I’ll either have them in hand Thursday or Friday, then!

UPDATE (4/2/2026): Both guns arrived to the FFL, around noon-time. I’m just awaiting a call to pick them up. Would be nice to be able to shoot them after picking them up, but I’m not feeling well today, so I’ll have to visit the range this weekend to shoot them. I also bought 5 additional Kuna mags. I’ll probably also need to order more G17 mags (I’ve a few but between two 2011s that use Glock-pattern mags, I probably need more).

Categories
1911 2011 9mm double-stack Fusion Firearms

Pre-order of the Fusion Firearms XP 3C Is Now Available

Yeaaahhhhhh. I’m buying it.

I’ll be watching upcoming reviews of this gun. I’ve some extra G19 mags, too.

I can either preorder or wait until it’s readily available and pull the trigger then. I think I’ll wait until it’s readily available and buy from KY Gun Co, like I did with the XP Pro.

I’ll be focusing on a purely black gun this time around.

I’m excited!

Categories
1911 2011

Initially, I Thought This Was Fake AI Junk! This is the XP 3C!

Source link is here.

Another Instagram post is here. And another. And another. There are actually quite a few Instagram reels on this particular gun, going back the past two weeks! I got caught out!

Fusion Firearms is naming it the XP 3C.

FF also posted about it on their YouTube channel:

The initial image appears to be heavily edited, to the point that I thought it was AI-generated.

I was shown the picture but was given no context. I thought I recognized the slide serrations and texturing (from the new XP Comp).

Later, someone mentioned that it was something that Fusion Firearms was developing and they provided the above photo.

Yes, it appears that an Officer-sized 2011 is in the works, and that this 2011 will take Glock mags. The barrel is also shorter than 3.5″, per Fusion Firearms.

They’ll be sharing more information during SHOT Show this year.

I’m all-in, but not sure when this will hit the market. I may focus on the XP Comp and be ready to purchase the XP 3C next year (or just have the funds ready in case they release this year).

Categories
1911 2011 9mm Fusion Firearms handgun XP Pro

The Fusion Firearms XP Pro Has Finally Surpassed 1000 Rounds!

We’re currently at 1011 rounds, all FMJ.

There have been no failures to feed or extract. Hell, I don’t remember the last time the gun was cleaned or lubed, but it’s doing fine, so far!

The gun is supremely controllable. I was able to do some really nice double taps tonight, without scattering rounds on paper. I’ve looked at the video footage and I’m able to easily control recoil, shoot quickly, and also simultaneously shoot accurately.

We actually shot 217 rouds tonight, which is a lot of ammo for me in one range session, especially out of one gun. The gun was actually pretty hot after maybe 20 minutes of shooting (because I wasn’t giving it a break).

So, what next? I’ll be working on a 1000 round review of this gun. I’ll give myself two weeks to create a script and record footage, as well as hunt for lots of B roll footage. If I struggle, it’ll take longer, but I want this done well since I’ve noticed that a lot of my visitors have been gravitating toward my XP Pro blog posts and XP Pro videos.

I’ll post the resulting review on both Rumble and YouTube, but I’m wanting to give up on Rumble. That platform just doesn’t get the a lot of traffic/views. I want to stay away from YouTube but Rumble is NOT a good replacement. I was trying to make an effort to use Rumble but every time I look at my channel stats, I get discouraged. I suppose whenever I post to YouTube, I can also post to Rumble and hope that my Rumble channel gains some views.

UPDATE – the 1000 round review video was published during the weekend of 10/18/2025.

For those of you that prefer YouTube:

For those of you that prefer Rumble:

Categories
1911 2011 9mm Fusion Firearms XP Pro

Have A Look At This!

This range session was the Sunday before Labor Day 2025.

This was at 10 yards, shooting at a 1″ orange dot, at a semi-rapid pace while still trying to be as accurate as possible.

I think this is the tightest grouping I’ve ever shot quickly at 10 yards. It’s tight enough to where you can pick any of 5 and they’ll be close to one another. Most of those are stacked on top of each other. I’m becoming super familiar with the gun – there’s not all that much recoiling in the footage, I’ve been working on my grip discipline, and I’ve been experimenting with trigger finger placement and trigger pull. As well, due to the minute recoil, and new grip texturing, I’m able to get quick and accurate follow-on shots.

Categories
1911 2011 9mm double-stack double-stacked Fusion Firearms XP Pro

I’m Still Evaluating the XP Pro, But Here Are A Few Video Snippets!

I’m just under 700 rounds through it. At the 1000-round mark, I’ll collect my thoughts and conduct a 1000-round assessment.

Categories
1911 2011 Fusion Firearms XP Pro

Extra Parts For the Fusion XP Pro Are Inbound!

I frequently monitor the Fusion Firearms pages to see if new parts are being stocked.

When checking earlier in the week, I saw that Fusion Firearms had a single sided thumb safety in stock. Sadly, they had none in hard chrome, so I bought the tennifer (black) one. If I find I don’t like the black one, I’ll buy the hard chrome one when it comes back in stock.

Note that this part is $50.

As well, they’ve a new grip module. It’s aluminum and it’s called the Prickle Dot V1. It’s not cheap, at $250. In looking at the pictures and comparing the pictures to my gun’s grip, I feel that FF could’ve done better. They made the side texturing more aggressive, but didn’t put that same texturing on the front or back strap. This is a common thing with gun manufacturers. They always overlook the front and back strap texturing or make it odd (the trend is that they tend to add vertical strips instead of horizontal – horizontal will be better for gripping). I decided to pass on buying the Prickle Dot grip.

Since I passed on buying the new grip module, I went ahead and bought the HandleIt grip enhancement tape for my current grip module. I’d rather not have to tape up the grip, but I want better texturing. While the grip isn’t slippery when I shoot it, if my hands ever get sweaty or dirty, that grip will surely be a challenge to control.

I ordered on 8/12/2025. The parts are on their way but will not arrive until 8/18/2025 (this coming Monday). This weekend, I’ll probably take apart the gun so that it’ll be ready for me to install the thumb safety.

I’m still considering buying the ported barrel but I really think that they missed the mark on that one…the ports are small and more along the sides of the barrel, not the top.

UPDATE (8/19/2025): Below are pictures of the upgrades…

HandleIt Grips, single sided thumb safety, no magwell
HandleIt Grips, single sided thumb safety, no magwell
Single sided thumb safety, no magwell
Single sided thumb safety, no magwell
Categories
1911 2011 9mm double-stacked Fusion Firearms reverse plug XP Pro

I’m Experiencing Some Frustrations With The Fusion Firearms XP Pro

I’ve owned the Fusion Firearms XP Pro a few months now. I’ve a little under 500 rounds through it. I’ve been focusing on being familar with my EDC, the Prodigy DS Compact, which is why the round count on the XP Pro is rather low.

I shot the XP Pro a few days ago and while it still shoots good and there have been no failures, there are frustrations.

The frustrations come with disassembling the gun. A simple field strip is not a simple as other guns. Firstly, the gun requires a take-down tool (a paper clip will do). I’m familiar with using such tools and take-down on other 1911s are simple but, again, it’s not simple with the XP Pro. My XP Pro has a reverse plug that can’t be removed by hand. Each time I’ve to disassemble it, I’ve to use a punch to remove the reverse plug. I shouldn’t have to do that and I’ve never seen a 1911 that requires such a thing. I understand that gun makers sometimes want their gun’s fitment to be tight, but there’s really nothing to gain with a reverse plug being so tight that a mallet is required for removal. And, no, I do not want to have to refit that part (that’ll be a pain in the ass). I honestly don’t think that part should be that tight.

As well, I’m currently unable to remove the firing pin retaining plate. This is another item that is far too tight. I’ve tried twice to remove it and was unsuccessful each time I tried. This item is tricky to remove when the plate is so tight, because you’ve to push in the firing pin before trying to tap out the plate with a punch. Fusion Firearms has a video demonstrating how to remove a tight plate. Again, I’ve no idea why that part is so tight. I’ve never run into this issue in the past with my other 1911s/2011s. In my opinion, it shouldn’t be that tight.

Now, the firing pin retaining plate is not going to be removed all that often, so I can deal with the difficulty in removing it since it won’t be removed often, but the fact that I had to seek out a video to do such a simple thing as removing the damned plate…that’s frustrating.

What’s even more frustrating is that I’ve to use a hammer and punch to remove the reverse plug. If I’m at the range and have to field strip the gun, the tight reverse plug is a show-stopper – I’d have to wait until I got home, as I’m not going to start carrying a hammer and punch in my range bag, just for this gun (as a just-in-case).

Another thing is that I’ve noticed the chrome coating flaking off in places (most of it being along the areas where the frame and slide meet. It doesn’t appear as if it’s being rubbed off via friction…it’s flat-out just flaking without any other obvious catalyst.

As well, the chrome coating is browning on the underside of the slide and underside of the dust cover.

None of what I listed above causes the gun to fail. As far as function goes, the gun is functioning. That’s good, but the other things need to be addressed, in my opinion.

Once I reach 1000 rounds through the gun, I’ll publish a video speaking of these issues. If I have to, I can send the gun back to Fusion to see if they can make those parts easier to remove (and to see what they say about the chrome browning and flaking).

UPDATE (6/16/2025): I tried to remove the firing pin stop again and was unsuccessful. Again. As well, the stop is starting to deform and I’m not sure if the deformity will affect firing pin functionality. I did a search, searching for “firing pin stop removal tool” and saw that EGW sells a removal tool, so I ordered it. Almost certainly, I’ll have to use a mallet with that tool, as the stop is wayyyy too tight to just slide out by hand. I’m thinking it will arrive by Saturday.

UPDATE (7/1/2025): I was not able to remove the stop plate with the EGW tool. I swear, the plate must have been pressed on. It’s ridiculously tight.

Categories
1911 2011 9mm double-stack Fusion Firearms XP Pro

The Platypus Isn’t the first to use Glock Mags!

One thing I folks keep saying when I’m reading discussions about the Fusion Firearms XP Pro is that it’s a copy of (or is similar to) the Platypus 1911.

It is not a copy nor is it similar.

Firstly, the XP Pro is actually 2011-patterned. The Platypus is not – it is Para-patterned and is actually a 1911.

Stacatto trademarking only applies to companies that manufacture guns, but I can call it a 2011 because I’m not a gun maker and it IS essentially a 2011. Just as a Ruger AR-556 is considered an AR, although it isn’t branded by Armalite (it is), the XP Pro is considered a 2011, because it is.

Some folks also use the argument that 2011s that use Glock mags aren’t really 2011s. The mags do not define the pattern. What defines the pattern is that 2011s consist of a frame and a grip module.

As well, the Platypus isn’t the first 1911/2011 to use Glock mags. The Alpha Foxtrot S15 holds that trophy. No, the S15 isn’t a 2011, but neither is the Platypus, right? 🙂 The Platypus is the first to use Glock 17 mags…not Glock mags outright, though. The first 1911/2011 to use Glock mags IS the S15.

The Platypus and XP Pro are nothing alike. The only thing they have in common is that they use G17 mags and are chambered in 9mm.

Using Glock mags is besides the point. Anyone hanging onto that gimmicky “It takes Glock mags!” mantra doesn’t know WTF they’re talking about. You’ll see a shitload of folks on YouTube titling their videos with “It takes Glock mags!”, and many of those folks are competent, but they’re also purposely titling their videos that way so that they can gain views.

Yes, there’s a purpose to using Glock mags – they’re super cheap while also being durable. As well, most folks own Glocks and many folks have lots of Glock mags, so they can reuse those mags with this gun instead of having to buy 2011 mags, which usually are priced in the $60+ range.

The XP Pro is more attainable than the Platypus, as there’s a LONG wait list for them at Stealth Arms. As well, the XP Pro is arguably the better gun. Yeah, the Platypus has many custom options and a fancy customization page, but again, it’s not actually 2011-patterned and Fusion Firearms is also ramping up lots of custom options (they only just started making the XP Pros).

I’ve seen videos of folks attempting to compare the Platypus with the XP Pro and they NEVER compare an XP Pro (straight from the factory – no mods) with a base Platypus (straight from the factory with no mods). IMO, the best thing to do (if forced to compare them – again, they’re not on equal footing, so I think the comparision is unrealistic) is to compare a BASE Platypus with an XP Pro. I’ve yet to see anyone do that, but they’ll sure as hell compare the XP to a built Platypus.

I’m not trying to take away anything from folks who may desire a Platypus, but I’m all about fair comparisons and know enough of things to realize that by the time you customize a Platypus with desireable parts, it is no longer an equal comparison with an XP Pro.